Has anyone written any meta, fic, or anything with a theory on why Rumbelle simply didn’t use TLK to break the Dark One curse? It’s been a popular fandom assumption all along that the only reason all their numerous kisses throughout the years didn’t break his curse, is b/c he didn’t let them. But if he wanted to break the curse, it should work, right? And wouldn’t that be a heckuva lot easier than all this Guardian business?
Could it be b/c they were afraid that the Darkness would simply go in search of another host, like when the Apprentice took the Darkness from Rumple’s body and it sought out Regina instead? But…. withdrawing the Darkness from its host and breaking the curse are two different things, so I’m not sure that logic holds. Maybe they just didn’t want to take the smallest risk of it happening.
I always headcanoned that his ring protected him from it. That he crafted it in the EF in case Belle came back and then it came over with the curse and Mr Gold wore it for 28 years. A little torment in the life of ‘comfort’, just like the boarded up library he passed everyday. He wouldn’t know why it made his heart hurt, not until he woke up from the curse anyway.
Leaving aside the season seven plot. Belle fell in love with Rumple as the dark one. She told Neal that she “loved all of him, even the parts that belonged to the darkness” and the season six finale had Rumple doing the right thing. Rumbelle had their happy beginning without TLK. Why would they want to break the curse of the dark one? Rumple had it under control and magic sure comes in handy – like the power to travel through magical realms on their world tour. It’s not a curse if it’s not a curse to the one that holds it.
Maybe that’s the answer. The guardian business is all a MacGuffin. All Rumple has to do is let go, to feel the curse chafing and poof TLK will take care of it. With Belle unavailable perhaps he should visit his son. Then he can grow old at Gideon’s side, hopefully Gideon will find love and have children (adopted or biological) and then in the fullness of time Rumple will … well you know.