“HEAD FORMATION!”
 

 
I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP! WHAT’S DONE IS DONE.
 
 
About a quarter of a century before the Mane 6 with the Elements of Harmony purged Nightmare Moon, the Autobot Headmasters, shown above, have used the Power of Friendship in various ways (emergency recharge, transporting the big gun, being weaponized against the enemy faction, etc.).  
Apparently, hundreds of thousands of years of training, survival against the harsh elements on an Earth-like planet, proper maintenance, Cerebros’ (Fortress’) guidance, AND FRIENDSHIP has culminated into a technique that the Decepticons cannot replicate.
 

 
BTW, Transformers The Headmasters aired in Japan in 1987 with 35 episodes total, and (for a time) was Japan-only.