Was the chest a seed?

[ggg-2 3,553]

at the end of Twilight's Kingdom, the chest goes into the ground where Twilight's library once was, from which her new castle grows. (which by the way, while really pretty, it sticks out like a big swollen crystal thumb next to the more modest, rustic ponyville, just a nitpick). which begs the question, was the chest actually a seed of sorts?

[Scootalove 10,689]

I don't think it was a seed. Maybe the chest was a connection to nature or at least to something else. Though the castle grew from the chest planting itself into the ground, so it could be one.

Edited May 11, 2014 by Scootalove

[Frith is Magick 1,471]

I do not think it was a seed, but a flower. If it was a seed it would have planted a new Tree of Harmony, as that is what seeds do, but instead it released immense magic, almost as if blooming. The chest, though, could have given birth to a seed (as flowers do contain reproductive cells), which may be Twilight's castle or something else entirely. 

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

It could be a castle seed. This is a magical realm were ponies can fly, and have DBZ fights with centaurs, having a crystal castle grow via a seed could be a thing. Also, anyone else get a fortress of solitude vibe from it? It grew in much the same manner, and they both are crystalline structures.

[DubWolf 17,265]

You could think of it as a seed. It came from a tree; it buried itself in the ground; it sprouted something (the castle). So sure, it's a seed!

[Side Bird 566]

Yeah kinda, it did come from a tree went into the ground and grew.

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

You could think of it as a seed. It came from a tree; it buried itself in the ground; it sprouted something (the castle). So sure, it's a seed!

I mean, this is the magical talking horse land. Growing castles via seed would be one of the less weird things they have done.

[dekutree64 713]

I do not think it was a seed, but a flower. If it was a seed it would have planted a new Tree of Harmony, as that is what seeds do, but instead it released immense magic, almost as if blooming. The chest, though, could have given birth to a seed (as flowers do contain reproductive cells), which may be Twilight's castle or something else entirely. 

But it DID grow into a new tree of harmony. The old tree is all crystalline looking, but still seems to be very much alive. I think Twilight's castle is the same way. The library was a living tree, too, so it makes sense that her new home would be another living tree.

 

And the box came from a flower in the first place, so it's more like it was waiting to be fertilized with harmony magic, which was done by feeding it the objects that had been imbued with the 6 elements by the ones who gave them.

 

I still haven't settled on a solid headcanon of why the rainbow from the box went straight to the parent tree, though. What we do know is that the box appeared just after the tree had been saved from its impending doom, so it may have been a trauma response, to try and reproduce before it died. Perhaps it was the new sapling's own choice to help its parent recover, by sharing some of the magic that was given to it? And as soon as the old tree gets charged back up, the mane 6 seem to link up with the elements in it much like usual, without even having to take them out of the tree.

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

But it DID grow into a new tree of harmony. The old tree is all crystalline looking, but still seems to be very much alive. I think Twilight's castle is the same way. The library was a living tree, too, so it makes sense that her new home would be another living tree.

 

And the box came from a flower in the first place, so it's more like it was waiting to be fertilized with harmony magic, which was done by feeding it the objects that had been imbued with the 6 elements by the ones who gave them.

 

I still haven't settled on a solid headcanon of why the rainbow from the box went straight to the parent tree, though. What we do know is that the box appeared just after the tree had been saved from its impending doom, so it may have been a trauma response, to try and reproduce before it died. Perhaps it was the new sapling's own choice to help its parent recover, by sharing some of the magic that was given to it? And as soon as the old tree gets charged back up, the mane 6 seem to link up with the elements in it much like usual, without even having to take them out of the tree.

 

This is how the show writers are going to explain why the box did what it did.

[Frith is Magick 1,471]

 

 

But it DID grow into a new tree of harmony. The old tree is all crystalline looking, but still seems to be very much alive. I think Twilight's castle is the same way. The library was a living tree, too, so it makes sense that her new home would be another living tree.   And the box came from a flower in the first place, so it's more like it was waiting to be fertilized with harmony magic, which was done by feeding it the objects that had been imbued with the 6 elements by the ones who gave them.

You make a good point. My initial interpretation was that the chest was the inner part of a flower, partly because unfolded it would resemble crystalline petals, and that Twilight's castle was either the seed or the true flower, with the chest and the "flower" it was in being just a bud. The castle is home to the Princess of Friendship, so it makes sense that it would either be the seed from which friendship would grow or a matured flower, able to spread its own pollen/seeds of friendship. If the castle is the next Tree, then perhaps friendship is the fruit. With any interpretation, we face one significant issue: we're trying to understand magic and relate it to ordinary ideas.

Perhaps the Tree of Harmony just does it's own thing, though your interpretation has the advantage of being more straightforward. 

[Pastel 7,630]

I don't think it was a seed, seeds don't have keyholes.

 

It was a magical artifact, nothing more.

Edited May 11, 2014 by Blobulle

[dekutree64 713]

I don't think it was a seed, seeds don't have keyholes.

Well if you want to get botanical, the box itself was the pistil, and the keyholes the stigmas, and the seed itself inside.

[Drunk Not I Am 1,070]

I am gonna miss the old tree house though..... and honestly I was expecting her to take the castle of the 2 sisters as her own, as twilight and the rest of the mane 6 go there a lot through the course of season 4 I felt it was hinting at it but eh still pretty baller.