Long story short, I'm writing an AU of A New Generation where the Earth ponies are changelings (among other things). I've decided to name them after species of arthropods while still keeping the same idea (because there are only so many body parts that make good names), so Sunny is Solifuge (also known as sun spiders) and Sprout is Viceroy (a mimic of the emperor butterfly). The only name I can think of for Hitch is "Phalanx"; while it vaguely fits him being a protector and has a sibilant sound like most canon changeling names, it doesn't fit with the arthropod theme. Any better ideas?

What about Scarab?

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How come?

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He's like a shield with a heart of gold.

7717412 Interesting.

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Truth be told, it's hard to say if people will pick up on it. Solifuge cannot really be mistaken for anything else (even though many also know them as camel spiders, so the connection to sun is rather loose), but given the many meanings of viceroy, the arthropod-specific thing kinda vanishes. (Especially given that Spout served as a viceroy of sorts in the G5 film.) Furthermore, if the characters stay completely the same and just appear as changelings, then I'd think twice about renaming them. You don't want the readers to go "Viceroy? Who was that again? Ah, yes, renamed Sprout." anytime a name gets brought up. It pretty much makes reading the story a chore.

With that said, if you want something protector-like for Hitch that many people around the globe may also recognise as somewhat inspired by arthropods, then Bombardier may be a good name (as in bombardier beetles, a group of beetles you really don't want to mess with).

Side note, but both Bombadier and Scarab could be good choices for an international readership, too, as they range very widely globally and are known in most parts of the world.

Every so often I read a fic where an animal or plant is mentioned that the reader is clearly expected to be familiar with, but which doesn't exist in Europe so I have to stop and look it up. It's like how if a fic mentions a butterfly, the odds are it's going to be a monarch -- but except for very rare visitors, those don't exist in the UK, so they feel exotic, not common to me, meaning the feel the author is going for doesn't always come through.

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Especially given that Spout served as a viceroy of sorts in the G5 film.

That's what I was going for, but you and Loganberry (7717500) are right; these names might confuse people. I've decided to call Hitch "Phalanx" for now, but that could change later, since this fic is still in its early stages. The other main characters have names similar to their canon ones (take a wild guess who Moonbow Shine and Zephyr Storm are; Windflower might be too different, though), but I'm stuck in a corner with stupid changeling naming conventions. Unless I decide to make the Earth ponies something else...