Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-24892318-20140628212541/@comment-4975807-20140629192853

The Dark One's powers is both a very tempting and vile thing for Rumplestiltskin, I believe. It gives him power to do what he couldn't before, but at the large price of giving up his mortality and human life. He hates what he has become and how much he has come to depend on these powers, but at the same time, he's terrified to be without them. Remember how when given the chance to let go of his powers and go with Baelfire to a land without magic, he ultimately chose his powers? That's similar to his reaction when Belle tried to break his curse. Plus, the fact he kept those powers intending to find a way to reunite with Baelfire was all the more reason why he didn't want his curse broken. That was one of the reasons, but in the scene he goes berserk, he also reacts in rage because he believes Belle is attempting to take away his powers on the Queen's orders. He fears reverting to a powerless, weak coward without his Dark One powers.