Picture young Rumple, on Neverland, asleep or crying under the tree. Rumple believed his father was going to leave him. In the next scene, his father casts him away and becomes Peter.
Did papa abandon little Rumple because that’s what Rumple believed would happen?
When older Rumplestiltzkin returned to Neverland, he feared Peter. I always thought that Rumple never believed in himself enough to believe he could defeat Peter Pan, so he never defeated him. Nederland was all about believing. Rumple didn’t believe his partners could defeat Peter either, so they never defeated him.
In Storybrooke, when Rumple was restricted from using his magic, when he had to truly trust and believe in his own strength, that’s when he was able to defeat Peter.
this is very VERY interesting!! remember what Gold said on the ship? never land is where imagination runs wild? Oh wow! in SB imagination doesn’t run wild, so real life finally kicked in and Pan lost.