It would be very difficult for August to be Bae if Rumpelstiltskin became the dark one centuries before the curse was enacted as the writers have stated…
The only way it is remotely possible would be if he had been stuck in time for centuries and then grew up and somehow randomly ended up in our world in modern day with knowledge of the curse and Emma being the savior. That just doesn’t sound very plausible to me.
Of all the theories I’ve heard about August, Pinocchio is the only one that makes sense to me. Gepetto built that magic wardrobe- he could have helped his son escape. Then his son grew up in our world with full knowledge of the curse, returning to Storybrooke 28 years later to help Emma believe. It really wouldn’t make sense for August to be a character who wasn’t close to the royal couple when the curse was enacted- he knows too much.
Now, of course, I could be wrong….but I will be disappointed in the writers if they’ve decided to go with an illogical twist.