Thunder was surprised by Rose's sudden assertiveness. He liked a pony that would keep him guessing . Though he could go without the gash in his cheek from when the vine striked him, but it wasn't bleeding much.
"I thought it worked like the whole 'forbidden fruit' thing. You always want what you can't have, and if you can't have somepony, in theory, that would make them all the more desirable." Thunder really couldn't see the wrongdoings of his actions, but he knew he was hurting Rose and wanted to not do that again. He realized he cared for this pony, more than anypony else. He sat down and frowned. The only ponies he'd ever cared about were Minath and Soarin', and adding a new pony to this lest felt unusual. But it was different... He cared about her in a different way...